Nevada has granted autonomous vehicle permits to three major companies — Tesla, Uber, and Waymo — enabling them to operate robotaxis in the state. The approvals, reported by TechCrunch on August 20, 2026, represent one of the largest multi-company robotaxi authorizations in US history.
Tesla's path, however, came with significant restrictions. The company had applied through Tesla Robotaxi, LLC to operate up to 5,000 autonomous vehicles in Clark County (Las Vegas area). The Nevada Transportation Authority approved the application on July 27, but capped the fleet at just 10 vehicles, limited speeds to 45 mph, and barred operations at the airport.
The cap is notably conservative compared to Tesla CEO Elon Musk's long-stated ambitions for a massive autonomous fleet. Still, the permit marks Tesla's first commercial robotaxi authorization in Nevada, following its completion of self-certification at the state's DMV.
Uber and Waymo also received their approvals, though details on their fleet limits were not immediately disclosed. The multi-company authorization signals Nevada's intent to become a competitive hub for autonomous ride-hailing, alongside states like California and Arizona.
The news comes amid a broader acceleration in the robotaxi industry. Waymo recently opened its cheaper next-generation robotaxi to all riders in three cities, and Amazon's Prime Air drone delivery is expanding to nearly 500 US cities. The competitive landscape is rapidly evolving as multiple players seek regulatory clearance to scale autonomous services.
